Fortifying an emulsified meat product with co-encapsulated omega-3 fatty acids and lutein

Lutein and omega-3 fatty acids, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), offer significant health benefits, especially when consumed together. However, their incorporation in food is often low due to their instability during processing and storage. Meat products play an essential role in human nutrition and are generally deficient in lutein and omega-3 fatty acids. This study aimed to incorporate co-encapsulated lutein and fish oil into emulsified meat products to improve their nutritional value. Curcumin (CUR) was used as an antioxidant in fish oil-lutein encapsulation, resulting in the lowest TBARS peak value and net increase during the 7-day storage under accelerated conditions (at 40 °C). While the addition of fish oil increased TBARS values, encapsulation significantly reduced oxidation compared with the free fish oil-lutein mixture. The incorporation of encapsulated fish oil-lutein increased the omega-3/omega-6 ratio from 0.36 to 0.90 and the DHA and EPA levels by 5 and 17 folds, respectively, of the control. Encapsulation doubled the lutein content in the cooked meat and improved its retention rates, from 63.59 % and 82.23 % to 84.50 % and 97.50 %, suggesting that encapsulation prevented lutein degradation during cooking and storage. These findings suggested that co-encapsulation is an effective strategy for fortifying meat products with both lutein and omega-3 fatty acids.